Lettering instrument



p 10, 1946. F. H. WHITELEY 2,497,594

LETTERING INSTRUMENT Filed June 6, 1945 A'rroRNEY Patented Sept. 10,1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

This invention relates to lettering instruments of the character usuallyemployed by draitsmen in setting down guidelines for the laterproduction of a group of letters or figures, and has for its primary aimto provide a device of said character that is simple to operate,inexpensive to produce, accurate and convenient in its function, andadjustable to the desired size of letter.

This invention has for its further aim to provide a lettering instrumentthat has means thereon for indicating the distance between lines oflettering and for disclosing to the operator the space between a set ofthree lines that are to be employed as guides in producing the lettersor numerals.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a letteringinstrument having as a part thereof, a group of marking elementsdisposed in such fashion as to be in substantial alignment horizontally,when the movable portion of the instrument is at one end of its path oftravel.

This invention has for other objects the provision of a letteringinstrument capable of measuring angles; having the capacity ofsimultaneously drawing the required number of horizontal, spaced apartlines to be used as lettering guides; and susceptible of a large numberof additional uses-all because of the character of structure chosen toembody the invention.

It has heretofore been customary to employ crude and inaccurateinstruments for establishing guide lines for lettering, whichinstruments were objectionable because of inaccuracies and the absenceof means for simultaneously drawing a group of lines, the distancebetween which were not governed by the devices per se.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a lettering instrument made in accordancewith the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an edge elevational view thereof.

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of the instrument.

Fig. 4 is an inverted plan view of the lettering instrument.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view taken on line VVof Fig. 2, and looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on line VI-VI of Fig.1.

In the form of the invention chosen for illustration, the numeral ldesignates a body formed of light material, preferably transparent incharacter, and having a guiding edge [.2 designed to 2 engage thestraight edge of a T-square or the like, when the instrument is to bedrawn across a sheet of paper mounted'on a drawing board not here shown.

The salient Hi extending outwardly from the edge of body 10 oppositefrom guide edge l2, should be contoured substantially as illustrated toaccomplish the desired end of positioning a group of marking elements,as shown in Fig. 4.

An arm I6 is pivotally mounted upon body it through the medium ofstructure clearly shown in Fig. 5. Body I0 is recessed as at IE toreceive the head portion of arm l6 and one edge of recess I8 is arcuateto conform to a similarly arched edge 20 on arm IS.

The arcuate edges of recess l8 and the head of arm l6 are concentricwith the axis of rotationestablished on screw 22, which cooperates withthumb nut 24.

A pointer 26 is established on the free end of arm l6 for the purposemore fully hereinafter described. Also, arm 16 has a notch 28 to receivesalient I4 when arm I6 is at the end of its path of travel in onedirection around the axis of screw 22.

A pair of marking elements 30 and 32 respectively, are mounted on arml6, one on each side of notch 28. These elements are on a radial lineextending from the axis of screw 22 and when the arm is in the positionshown in Fig. 4, all marking elements and screw 22 are in substantialalignment.

A scale 34 cooperates with marker 36 in teaching the operator theposition of elements 30 and 32. axis of screw 22, the distance betweenlines 38 and 40 which marking elements 30 and 32 produce, becomesgreater until the arm is moved to a position where elements 30 and 32are on a vertical line or a line perpendicular to edge I2.

Marking element US will always remain stationary so far as arm I6 isconcerned, and therefore, the line 42 which this marking element l4produces, will be the base line of the lettering. Regardless of theposition of arm l6, therefore, the proper proportions will be maintainedbetween lines 38, 40 and 42.

In the operation of the instrument and when a number of lines oflettering are to be produced, pointer 26 is employed as a guide and thelast or lowermost line 42 of the set of lines just made, is utilized byregistering pointer 26 therewith. When this is done, guide edge [2 isplaced against the straight edge of a T-square, for example, and theinstrument drawn in the direc- As these elements are swung around thetlon of the arrow shown in Fig. 1. Thus, a spacing instrument as well asmeans for produclng guide lines for lettering, is available.

Straight edge 44 on arm I6 is usable as means for drawing lines at thedesired angle with respect to edge I2, and under such conditions, thescale 46 is brought into play.

The marking elements are each formed as shown in Fig. 6, and comprises atubular standard 48, a head 50 and screw-threaded shank 52 on said headto enter the bore of standard 48. A marking lead 54 is frictionallygripped by standard 48 and projects therefrom to a point where the endwill engage the paper on the drawing board.

Standard 48 is shouldered as at 55 and a shoulder 58 on body ill or armIt, as the case may be, serves as a purchase for a spring 68 held undertension by nut 62. Thus, the marking element assemblies may be removedfrom their operative position and the marking lead 54 may be fed as fastas used.

It is understood that lettering instruments having physicalcharacteristics difierent. from those illustrated and described, mightbe made without departing from the spirit of the inventio or scope ofth.e appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as I new anddesired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A lettering instrument of the type described. comprising a bodyhaving a guiding edge; an arm pivotally mounted on the body; and aplurality of. marking elements, certain of the elements being on thebody and the remaining elements being on the arm, the marking elementsand the, pivotal connections between the body and arm being insubstantial alignment on a line parallel with and spaced from the saidguiding edge when the arm is at one end of its path of movement aboutthe pivotal connection.

2. A lettering instrument of the type described, com-prising a bodyhaving a guiding edge; an arm pivotally mounted on the body; and aplurality of marking elements, certain of the elements being on the bodyand the remaining elements being on the arm, the marking elements andthe pivotal connections between the body and arm being in substantialalignment on a line parallel with and spaced from the said guiding edgewhen the arm is at one end of its path of movement about the pivotalconnection, said arm having a pointer thereon at the free end thereofand serving as an indicator for the positioning of the instrument whenguide line for more than one row of lettering are to be established.

3. A lettering instrument of the type described, comprising a bodyhaving a guiding edge; an arm ,pivotally mounted on the body; apair ofspaced apart marking elements on the arm; and a single marking elementon the body, said body and arm being formed and so supporting theelements as to have the marking element on the body between the pair ofmarking elements on the arm when the arm is at one end of i s path oftravel about the pivotal connection.

A lettering instrument of the type described, comprising a body having aguiding edge and an outwardly projecting salient at the opposite edgethereof; an arm pivotally mounted on the body and having a notch formedthereon to receive the salient; a marking element. carried by thesalient; and a, marking element on each side. respectively of thenotchwhereby the marking elements are substantially in alignment whenthe salient is within the notch.

5. A lettering instrument of the charaeter set forth in claim 4, whereinthe substantially aligned marking elements are on a radial lineextending from the pivotal mounting of the arm.

' FRED HOWARD WHITELEY.

